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Guest DShiflet

I found blood MUCH more efficient, as you can pull basically unlimited mobs with NO risk, even if you pull an elite or two. Between bone shield, blood shield, high armor, and damage reduction/crit immunity from blood presence, you basically HAVE to be fighting multiple mobs to even take damage at all

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Guest Fletch

I found blood MUCH more efficient, as you can pull basically unlimited mobs with NO risk, even if you pull an elite or two. Between bone shield, blood shield, high armor, and damage reduction/crit immunity from blood presence, you basically HAVE to be fighting multiple mobs to even take damage at all

I found this to be the same for Unholy as well. I believe they have stated Blood is just not the most efficient way to level up. I was just running Unholy to level, but I think once I hit 90 I'll stay this way. I'm really enjoying it now.

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Guest CBH

Yea definitely blood... Blood Boil hits like a truck at lower levels and so does Death Siphon and heals better than 50% allowing for some really fun instance runs... such a different experience from levelling bak in TBC and Wrath days...

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I've recently been working on a second DK to get my double agent achievement. and I have to agree that blood is by far the best way to go for leveling. My largest pull has been upwards of 10 guys on me, and my HP still doesn't even budge, and blood boil is so strong I can kill multiple targets just as quickly as I can kill a single target.

The only limit to blood leveling is how many mobs you can find in the area to pull all at once.

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I agree to blood being the best for Lvling. however, as unholy or frist it still goes faster (in my experience). Blood is perfect for pulling large groups, but frost/unholy are waaaaaaaaay better to quickly nuke any mob. the DPS is just way higher, and if you are truly in danger, just go Blood presence for a couple of secs, to remove the threat of dying.

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Guest Obsidian

Sorry but, I got to throw my hat in the ring as well. This "guide" is poorly conceived and tested. Its always blood for soloing content (including mashing dungeons solo). Blood is more efficient because if you are doing it right, you pull groups of mobs and burn them down 5-8 at a time at your current level (up to 20 ezsauce if their are lower level!). Run on your mount, body pull what you can, cast DnD (with the movement speed debuff), icy touch whats in range, dark command and death grip any additional two. Open pestilence, spam blood boil just twice (glyphed to trigger pestilence) and everything will be at 40% health at best. I used to burn ENTIRE FAMILIES of monkeys in Scholazar Basin with this method and it works in PandaLandah too. (PS also great for skinning it thats how u make your gold, i also use it to lay boot to ogres in the Highlands to farm cloth).

Blood will always outperform AOE burning mobs. And, considering the current 'DPS' specs are massively underperforming other classes atm (c.f. Noxxic, etc.) - you may as well learn Blood cause your primary usefulness in end-game is likely going to be tanking anyhow. If however, you are insistant on doing a dps spec, then I suggest frost, again for its AOE superiority to Unholy due to Howling Blast. Just, if you are going to do so, spec Frost, but play in blood presence! You get the AOE and procs from frost, with the same regen as frost presence, but you get the stam and crit buffs from blood. Making AOE burning more survivable. But really, the blood shield from Mastery still makes Blood with Blood the pro's choice!

Also, the advice about lichborne and casting death coil for a self-heal is very 2 xpacs ago. The pros use Vampiric blood, then summon their ghoul and cast death pact with a Rune tap for a 50% heal when needed. Coif a health pot or eat some lock-snot and your golden (your next death strike will bring you to full). This guide is very 'concept' with tunnel vision focussed on single target. My /played from L55 to L86 was 1d8hrs. Trust me, I know what I'm doing (and others are probably even better than me). Ive levelled 3 DKs to L90 now on 3 servers. We've all said blood. Respectfully, its time to ammend this guide.

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Guest Strahd

I was going to chime in, but it seems everyone beat me to it. I'll jut add my 2 cents. 3 things will spell easy and fast leveling for DK. Blood spec, Glyph of Dark Succor, and Unholy Presence. This is the holy trinity. Mount pull as many mobs as you can possible, group em up, hit blood boil twice, spam 2 Death Strikes. This should kill or almost kill at least 1 mob. If not, hit a few Rune Strikes. The point is, once one mob dies, it's a snowball effect because you can spam Deth Strike until everything is dead. I pull a many mins as I want and leave every fight in about 5-10 seconds with full hp. No way Frost or Unholy can do that.

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Guest ChromWolf

I too am also used to Blood being the best spec for leveling; just so simple and pain free.

I do wonder if Blood being the best leveling spec will continue with the chance to Vengeance come 6.0. I'd be interested to see folks' thoughts now, and then again when it comes out and people are leveling to 100.

All shall serve lvl 56 talent is literally the worst talent you can pick.. Bursting Spores help aoe down a group of mobs and they also burst on death of mobs if they die with festering wounds up, bursting all of them instantly. Pestilent Spores are good for soloing because any left over festering wounds on targets that die also count for pestilent spores giving you free runes. Castigator is good for mass producing and mass bursting festering wounds from crits. Sludge Belcher is nice if you want a 2nd death grip and an aoe around your pet rather than a frontal cleave without it. Asphyxiate is also nice for the extra CC just try not to pair pet stun with Asphyxiate because Diminishing Returns from CC take effect in pve. Corpse Shield for survivability and Lingering apparition is a nice talent to get around quicker. Infected claws is really nice with sludge belcher as his aoe hits everything and paired with death and decay you are AoE bursting festering wounds. Shadow Infusion is good for dungeons and single target fights. Dark Arbiter is an amazing dps cooldown if done right spamming death coils.

There's my two cents for leveling as a dk. These talents are pretty solid and help me a bunch. hope it helps you guys out.

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I feel bad now that I chose frost as my first artifact weapon. I have really been struggling with frost and I used to enjoy it but it feels like there is no way to keep health up very well and I feel like I made a horrible mistake which will slow down leveling a bit.

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I feel bad now that I chose frost as my first artifact weapon. I have really been struggling with frost and I used to enjoy it but it feels like there is no way to keep health up very well and I feel like I made a horrible mistake which will slow down leveling a bit.

As soon as you can, go do your Unholy artifact quest. It unlocks pretty quickly (around 103) in your order hall. I tried Frost and hated it. Unholy all the way!